Drunk on Madness - Chapter 82

Su Mo had been staring at the courtyard for a long time, yet Li Xiang and Zhou Mingxuan had not emerged. He grew puzzled.

An hour passed, and the guards, following Zhou Mingxuan’s instructions, came to unlock Su Mo’s chains. Su Mo was taken aback, wondering what trick Zhou Mingxuan was playing.

Su Mo tentatively took a few steps toward the mansion and noticed that none of the guards stopped him. He rushed inside, scanning the surroundings as he called out, “Xiangxiang!” There was no response. He had no choice but to search room by room.

A gentle night breeze, carrying the coolness of moonlight, slipped through the half-open window lattice and softly brushed against the drooping bed curtains.

The breeze rustled the sheer, cicada-wing-thin bed curtains, causing them to sway gently like ripples on a lake, stirring delicate, overlapping waves.

A pale, delicate elbow, entangled in the bed curtain, was exposed outside the drapes.

Two overlapping figures were faintly visible. The fragmented sounds of a man and a woman drifted intermittently, and Su Mo felt as if he had been frozen in place, unable to move.

Hearing the noise, Zhou Mingxuan pulled himself slightly from his passionate haze and glanced at Su Mo standing frozen at the door. He lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. “Does this scene feel familiar?”

His face was flushed, his hands gripping Li Xiang’s wrists with a hint of force, showing no intention of stopping.

Suddenly, Zhou Mingxuan grabbed a piece of scattered clothing nearby, pulled out a flexible sword from it, and tossed it to Su Mo. “I’m giving you another chance now, kill me.”

He stared at Su Mo, his eyes darkening, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of his lips. “Don’t worry, I’ve already spoken to them. Nothing will implicate your family.”

Su Mo’s eyes darkened, concealing the turmoil within. He picked up the flexible sword and pointed the tip directly at Zhou Mingxuan. “Let Xiangxiang go.”

The white silk robe outlined Zhou Mingxuan’s tall figure under the flickering lamplight. His deep eyes held an inscrutable meaning. “If I die, she will naturally be freed.”

Li Xiang’s hands were pinned above her head, her body already drenched in sweat. She looked helplessly at Su Mo, shaking her head, her flushed cheeks seeming unable to bear such treatment.

Su Mo paused, his grip on the sword trembling slightly. His voice was hoarse, carrying a trace of madness as he spoke word by word, “Say it again. Let Xiangxiang go.” The tip of the sword pressed against Zhou Mingxuan’s arm, leaving trails of blood that dripped onto Li Xiang’s chest.

She stared wide-eyed at Zhou Mingxuan’s flushed face, as if he felt no pain. His expression remained completely unchanged.

Fine beads of cold sweat formed on Li Xiang’s forehead, her mind in chaos. She weakly repeated, “Please, stop this. I’m scared.”

Zhou Mingxuan’s voice was hoarse as he said, “Scared? Even if you’re scared, you must face it. Sooner or later, there must be an outcome. Today, either he dies, or I do.” With that, he turned her over and pressed on once more.

Li Xiang let out a muffled groan, shrinking in pain as sweat continuously dripped from her forehead.

Su Mo thrust the sword deeper, the tip piercing Zhou Mingxuan’s shoulder. A drop of blood splattered onto Zhou Mingxuan’s handsome face. He frowned slightly and said, “If you don’t kill me today, Xiangxiang will be mine alone. You will never see her again.”

Half of Su Mo’s face was illuminated crimson by the firelight. He threw down the flexible sword, shoved Zhou Mingxuan aside, and hurriedly covered Li Xiang with clothing, hastily arranging it as he prepared to take her away from this place.

Zhou Mingxuan adjusted his clothing and watched as Su Mo picked up Li Xiang, preparing to leave. Immediately, Zhou Mingxuan snatched up the soft sword from the ground and blocked their path.

“You may go,” Zhou Mingxuan said, “but Xiangxiang must stay.”

Su Mo’s jaw tightened, and after a long pause, he replied, “Impossible.”

The atmosphere grew tense as Su Mo met his gaze coldly. “You can’t stop me.”

Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes flickered with unreadable emotions. A light breeze stirred the strands of hair across his forehead, and his upturned phoenix eyes churned with turmoil.

Suddenly, Su Mo tightened his grip around Li Xiang’s waist, avoiding Zhou Mingxuan’s gaze, and leaped out of the window with her. But a dark figure flashed by the doorway, followed by a sharp gust of wind slicing through the air, aimed directly at Su Mo’s back.

Su Mo’s heart clenched, but he didn’t let go. Relying on his astonishing reflexes, he twisted his body, taking the sudden blow on his back, and used the momentum to leap forward, evading the follow-up attacks.

Zhou Mingxuan watched the two confronting each other at the door and knew this was the best opportunity to kill Su Mo. His fingers trembled as they gripped the cold, soft sword, not out of fear, but from inner conflict.

In Su Mo’s arms, Li Xiang’s eyes flashed with panic. She clung tightly to him, unwilling to become a burden. “Su Mo, put me down first.” Worried about hurting her, Su Mo bent down and placed her on the nearby steps.

Zhou Mingxuan watched as Li Xiang clung to Su Mo, dependent and attached to him. Helpless anger, like a caged beast, raged violently in his chest. Seizing the moment while Su Mo was engaged with the dark figure, he raised his sword, intending to strike Su Mo.

At this critical moment, Li Xiang caught sight of Zhou Mingxuan charging at Su Mo with his sword. Without a second thought, she stood up and stepped into the path of the blade, grasping the soft sword with her bare hands. Soon, crimson blood dripped from the sword and splattered onto the ground.

Zhou Mingxuan’s heart shattered as he cried out frantically, “Let go!”

Li Xiang’s hands burned with pain, but she paid it no mind, only wanting them to stop fighting. “Call off your people.”

Zhou Mingxuan wanted to drop his sword but feared injuring her further, so he held it steady and agreed, “Fine.”

With a wave of his hand, the dark-clad figure retreated.

Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes reddened as he stared at her bloodied hands and repeated, “Let go.” Li Xiang hesitated, showing no intention of releasing her grip as the blood continued to flow.

Growing more anxious, Zhou Mingxuan urged, “Let go, now!”

Su Mo, catching his breath, slowly approached and only then noticed the blood on the steps. “Xiangxiang, let go!”

Li Xiang’s face was pale, but she ignored him.

Instead, she fixed her gaze on Zhou Mingxuan and spoke with utmost seriousness, “The reason we’ve come to this point isn’t because of Su Mo. It’s because I don’t like the palace, and I don’t like you marrying other women.”

Zhou Mingxuan’s mind was in chaos, unable to focus. Watching the growing pool of blood on the ground, his throat tightened. “Fine, I won’t marry. Just let go first.”